Acer, the world's third largest PC vendor and the region's leading notebook provider, has appointed Olayan-ABM as an executive partner to further service the Middle East's largest IT market, estimated by Business Monitor International to be worth $5 billion by 2012. Arabian Business Machines Company (ABM) with its head office in Riyadh and branch offices in all three regions is a wholly-owned operating company of Olayan Group. ABM has a nationwide diversified operation handling a variety of product portfolios. These include office automation technology, detection security products, physical security (storage products), computers, software products and technical services. “Acer has great recognition and reputation as one of the leading brands in the kingdom,” said Wael Fleihan, general manager, Arabian Business Machine. “The IT market is significantly contributing to the economic growth of the kingdom and, working with Acer, we aim to make world-class technology readily available across the Kingdom.” As executive partners, ABM will play a vital role to promote Acer Computer across all the market segments of the Kingdom. According to BMI, the average annual growth in IT spending in the Kingdom is increasing at the rate of 12 percent through 2012. Sales of computers, including PCs, notebooks and accessories, in the kingdom is expected to reach up to $1.4 billion in 2008. “Saudi Arabia is on track to be amongst the world's top 10 most competitive nations by 2010,” said Basem J. Salaymeh, country sales manager - KSA, Acer Computer. “Relying on Acer's proven technology will help the Kingdom reach its ambitious goals.” Saudi Arabia remains one of Acer's strongest performing markets in the Middle East. Acer's revenues reached $14.07 billion in 2007. __
